Smiling Games
by Loud-Little-Thing
Summary: Naruto plays invented games because that’s one of the first things a lonely child learns to do.


I dunno. Go with it. Set before sasuke got all antsy and ran off.

The part about Kakashi is only part true. I noticed it once in one episode of the anime. The book was in one hand and next frame it was sudden it was in the other. It was probably an animation mistake.

This is kinda vague.

* * *

S m i l i n g G a m e s

"You're such a spoil sport Teme. You always drag the mood down." Naruto pouted and swung his legs on the branch. Watching his rival lazily from serval feet above.

The Uchiha said nothing, throwing another kunai. The blade punctured the training bored at the centre mark with a dull 'thunk'. Sasuke straightened and swung two more kunai on his fingers tips.

"You should be training." He directed to the relaxed boy.

"I was here long before you were, Teme." Naruto snapped and sat up.

"Hn. That's because you need it more."

"Stupid Teme! If your so perfect, why are you here?!"

The Uchiha didn't reply. Sending several more kunai into their marks.

Thunk. Thunk. Thunk.

Naruto frowned as he watched the raven. True, he had been up practicing since before breakfast. But the Uchiha wasn't so far off. They were both tired. Couldn't Sasuke justify having a little break? Even Naruto allowed rare moments to catch his breath.

The stupid Teme.

"Were you ever a normal kid, Sasuke?"

The Uchiha didn't react and continued ignoring the blonde as practiced as possible.

Naruto smirked. "Well, I mean normal as much as a Uchiha can b-"

Thunk.

The kunai missed its mark- which had been Naruto's forehead until he'd dodged at the last moment as it sailed past his cheek and hit the tree.

"Teme!" Naruto hissed and dropped to the ground. "Don't just throw a kunai at _me _just because _you_ can't reach the one up your ass!"

Sasuke didn't react, having already turned back to the practice bored; satisfied he'd severed the conversation the blonde had tried to start-

"I couldn't even imagine you ever playing a game. I don't remember seeing you ever play one-"

"Games are pointless." Sasuke cut in passively.

Naruto snorted and lent against the trunk of the tree. "No their not. Games can teach you all sorts of things. Like trial an error."

Sasuke, 'hn-ed' in response to show he wasn't taking any interest but he could hear.

"They can!" Naruto insisted. "When I was a kid-like when I was about 7," he added. "I played a game I made up. I called it 'until they notice'."

"Hn." Sasuke craned his neck till it gave a satisfying 'crack' He made his way over to the practice bored and began plucking the blades out of the splintering wood.

"I used to pick something- a little thing and I wouldn't stop doing it until someone noticed.Until someone said something. No matter what it was, just too see how long it took everyone else to notice."

"A little thing like what?" Sasuke put in obligatory and plucked a stray kunai out of the ground.

"Like… like blinking once every word I said." Naruto mused and demonstrated.

"That's stupid. And _pointless_." Sasuke added on emphasis.

"Well, it was something to do." Naruto defended. "And it made me learn to focus on the little things some people do. Like… Kakashi Sensei only ever holds his book in his right hand."

"So what Dobe? He's right handed."

"But he switched hands so he can use the same hand to turn pages." Naruto's voice filled with pride and amusement at Sasuke's face as he realised what he was saying was true.

"Still, overall, it's a useless skill if you don't look at the big picture." The Uchiha's shrugged, brushing off his surprise.

The blonde shook his head but his smirk weakened.

Sasuke turned back to the training bored and picked his mark. Serval more rounds of throws had his arms feeling heavy and he shook his head awake.

The blonde had retreated back up into the tree and was leaning back on the bark relaxed.

"So, How long?" Sauske cut into the blonde's peace.

The blonde blinked at him. "How long what?"

"How long was the longest time before someone noticed something?" Sasuke huffed. He didn't like having to explain every little detail. But it was an unavoidable fact when conversing with the blonde.

Naruto sat, blinking at the raven for some time before a heavy grin broke out on his face.

"What makes you think anyone noticed yet?"

Sasuke blinked, his left eye twitched and his cheeks flushed with irritation. And again the blonde narrowly dodged another kunai aimed for his face. But he was laughing now. And smiling.

He was always, _always_, smiling….

* * *

Get it? Yeah, i didnt think you would. Run along now... 


End file.
